Culture of Cyprus

Republic of Cyprus Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία  (Greek) Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti  (Turkish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν(Greek Cypriot) "Hymn to Liberty"
Location of Cyprus (pictured lower right), showing the Republic of Cyprus in darker green and the self-declared republic of Northern Cyprus in brighter green, with the rest of the European Union shown in faded green
Capital and largest city	Nicosia   35°10′N 33°22′E / 35.167°N 33.367°E / 35.167; 33.367
Official languages	Greek Turkish
Minority languages	Armenian Cypriot Arabic
Vernaculars	Cypriot Greek Cypriot Turkish
Ethnic groups	Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriots Armenians Maronites
Demonym	Cypriot
Government	Unitary presidential constitutional republic
• President	Nicos Anastasiades
• Vice President	Vacant
• President of the Parliament	Demetris Syllouris
Legislature	House of Representatives
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Zürich and London Agreement	19 February 1959
• Independence proclaimed	16 August 1960
• Independence Day	1 October 1960
• Joined the European Union	1 May 2004
Area
• Total	9,251 km2 (3,572 sq mi) (168th)
• Water (%)	9
Population
• 2013 estimate	1,141,166 (158th)
• 2011 census	838,897
• Density	123.4/km2 (319.6/sq mi) (82nd)
GDP (PPP)	2016 estimate
• Total	$29.666 billion (126th)
• Per capita	$34,970 (35th)
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Total	$19.810 billion (114th)
• Per capita	$23,352 (33rd)
Gini (2015)	33.6 medium
HDI (2015)	0.856 very high · 33rd
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+357
ISO 3166 code	CY
Internet TLD	.cy

Largest groups of foreign residents
Nationality	Population (2011)
Greece	29,321
United Kingdom	24,046
Romania	23,706
Bulgaria	18,536
Philippines	9,413
Russia	8,164
Sri Lanka	7,269
Vietnam	7,028
Syria	3,054
India	2,933

Cyprus (/ˈsaɪprəs/; Greek: Κύπρος, translit. Kýpros IPA: [ˈcipros]; Turkish: Kıbrıs IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs]), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, translit. Kypriakí Demokratía; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece.

The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, and Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC. As a strategic location in the Middle East, it was subsequently occupied by several major powers, including the empires of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great. Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt, the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire, Arab caliphates for a short period, the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians, was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 (de jure until 1914).